The present invention relates to preparation of superconducting epitaxial film using the method of liquid-phase epitaxial growth.
Recently, there have been more and more projects and researches in the developing and exploitation of superconducting materials in many countries. In particular, scientists and technicians in the technology-orientated developed countries have been involved in the research, and large sums of money have also been invested in the research in the field of superconducting materials, especially in the preparation of superconducting epitaxial film for the application thereof in various types of sensors or high speed computers. Owing to the fact that Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) can be used to detect the minute magnetic field, the use of "Josephson Effect" can produce high performance devices having operation speeds ten times faster than that of the traditional semiconductor devices. As a result, these superconducting materials will soon be used in super high speed computers. The application of such superconducting material will introduce a new era in industrial revolution and the preparation technique of high temperature superconducting materials is indeed to be considered as a high-tech research or exploitation at present.
Traditionally, several methods are used in the preparation of high temperature oxides superconducting epitaxial film: Argon Ions Sputtering Method, Electron Beam Evaporating Method, Molecular Beam Epitaxial Method, Laser Beam Evaporating Method, etc. However, there is a common shortcoming in the above methods--a vacuum environment is required for all of the mentioned methods to be carried out. Undoubtedly, a vacuum equipped system is exorbitant to be installed, and also, to produce a large epitaxial film is rather troublesome. Furthermore, the process for the preparation of the epitaxial film is very complicated and the factors such as gas flow rate, component ratio of the membrane, the components of the growth target, etc., which control the growth of epitaxial are needed to be accurately observed.